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What causes missing growth rings in trees?
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wood
Temperate softwoods (left column) and hardwoods (right column), selected to highlight natural variations in colour and figure: (A) Douglas fir, (B) sugar pine, (C) redwood, (D) white oak, (E) American sycamore, and (F) black cherry. Each image shows (from left to right) transverse, radial, and tangential surfaces. Click on an individual image for an enlarged view.
Missing growth rings in trees occur when no wood is formed during a given year, a phenomenon typically caused by adverse environmental conditions, such as a very severe growing season.12
While trees in regions with seasonal contrasts generally develop a single growth ring each year, these variations can disrupt normal development. When conditions are sufficiently harsh, the tree may fail to produce a distinct layer of wood, leading to a missing ring. These anomalies, along with other variations like incomplete, false, or eccentric rings, present challenges for dendrochronology—the scientific study of tree rings used to date past events and analyze historical climates.12